Haryana govt launches 'e-Adhigam' scheme; 3 lakh students given tablets for online education

CHANDIGARH: Haryana government on Thursday launched its ambitious "e-Adhigam" scheme under which nearly three lakh tablets were distributed to government school students of Classes 10 and 12. These devices come with pre-loaded content along with personalised and adaptive learning software, and 2GB free data. The government intends to provide the gadget to five lakh students from Classes 10-12. However, it said Class 11 students will get them after they clear the Class 10 board exams and qualify for the succeeding year.

"From next year, all classes from 9-12 will be covered," Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said after launching the Advance Digital Haryana Initiative of Government with Adaptive Modules (Adigham) scheme at Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak. "Tablets and data are tools for students which will help them acquire skills of the 21st century and open new opportunities. Through e-learning, students of Haryana will become global students," he said.

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During COVID-19, Khattar said, many families struggled to upgrade their children to online education and that the initiative was an effort to address this concern. "With these tablets, we will not be limited to classroom teaching, but we will remain connected with the affairs of the world," Khattar said. The tablet is the new classroom and "through e-books, it has become a full-fledged class room", he said.

Stressing on the role of digitisation, especially during the pandemic, he said, "We have seen in many countries' youngsters developing apps which find multiple uses in our daily lives and our youths too have proved their mettle." Meanwhile, Khattar also said the government will form two task forces for the education sector -- one will work on the infrastructure, buildings, boundary walls, beautification, cleanliness, roads, water, sanitation and other essential requirements of schools while the other will ensure the arrangement of furniture etc. "Under the New Education Policy, we are laying a lot of emphasis on IT (information technology)," he said.

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"The country has set a target to implement this policy by 2030, but our target is 2025," Khattar added. "We are giving priority to the education sector and out of the state budget of nearly Rs 1.70 lakh crore, Rs 20,000 crore has been earmarked for education alone," he said. Education is the most powerful weapon one can use to change the world, Khattar said quoting Nelson Mandela. The devices were distributed among students in 119 blocks across the state simultaneously, Education Minister Kanwar Pal said.